November 5, 2017

Good evening-

I hope you had a wonderful weekend.  I topped mine off this afternoon enjoying the AHSTS performance of Museum.  What fun!  I am always blown away by the talent in this group and this play showcased so many students.

As you know, Monday, November 6 is the end of Term 1. The grading window will open at 3pm Monday.  The window will remain open until Monday, November 13 at noon.  Our original report card date was posted as the afternoon of 11/13 but I have pushed it back to 11/14.

I am so honored to be heading off once again on Wednesday with thirty members of the Make-A-Wish Club to volunteer at Give Kids the World.  The students attending the trip were chosen last spring from the interested students because of their commitment to service.  The students were chosen because they did the most hours of service and while in Orlando they will be doing more volunteer shifts this year than any of the prior trips. If you can, find an opportunity to thank these kids for giving so much to children with life-threatening issues.  We will return Monday, November 13 and students are aware they are responsible for missed assignments. 

CHALLENGE DAY!  November 30
Please see the message below from one of our own teachers.  

"Hello! I was a student organizer and a participant both my junior and senior years of high school in our Challenge Day. Challenge Day is a unique day predicated on self-disclosure in a safe environment with trained adults and volunteer staff who facilitate large and small-group process and discussions on these self-disclosures and on personal relationships. The main goal is to promote unity, respect, love, and affirmation of all kinds of people in the school community. It was very positive in my own high school, and we managed to implement change in our high school from the program on a long-term plan. I am volunteering to be there this month at AHS, and I hope you might consider doing so too!" 
This day is a step in the process of creating a safe, equitable environment for all students at AHS.  We will have about 100 students participating.  Please let me know if you are able to participate.  

AHS Printer use:  
Because of the increased use of and expectation for access to school printers before school, please continue to remind students that assignments done at home should be printed at home. Students who may have an issue with printing something at home should see the teacher that gave the assignment to work out a solution.  Students should not be printing teacher assigned readings and packets on guidance or library printers.  Any students who may not have printer access at home should see guidance or administration for assistance.  

A follow up from the Wellness Committee....Please review the School Committee policy manual and search the term Wellness.

If food is to be served in school or at school-sponsored events provided by a variety of students, to a variety of students, you must submit a request to me for approval of the activity.  Once I approve the activity you then must submit the request to the nurses for them to review. Thanks for your willingness to work together to make sure this policy is adhered to.

Below you will find the link to the NEASC Faculty survey as well as a description of the purpose of this survey.  You will be given time at your next department meeting to complete the survey.  

The new NEASC CPS surveys have been developed in collaboration with Tripod Education Partners. The survey items have been aligned with the 2020 Standards for Accreditation and are intended to provide schools with meaningful data on their alignment to the Standards, with a focus on the experience of students, families, and faculty in the school. The surveys are entirely online. The survey tool is very easy to use and works well on a computer, tablet, or even a phone. This is the pilot year for the survey. Over sixty schools, representing 50,000 students will complete the surveys this year. Thank you for completing this survey which will help us use survey data as a tool in our school improvement and growth process. We appreciate your support and welcome your feedback as we continue to improve the services we provide to member schools.  

Faculty 

https://surveys.neasc.org/s3/NEASC-CPS-Faculty-Survey-Ashland-High-School

Introducing the Clocker Cupboard!
Ashland High School is proud to announce the establishment of the Clocker Cupboard.  The Clocker Cupboard will be an on site mini food pantry that will provide shelf staples, snacks and drinks for our students whose families may be experiencing a financial hardship impacting momentary access to food.  Access to the Clocker Cupboard will be done so with a level of discretion and confidentiality.  We have collaborated with the Ashland Food Pantry in establishing a foundation of food at this point. As we move forward, we will be looking for donations to ensure that the supply is maintained and any overstock will be donated to the Ashland food pantry.  Please feel free to send any donations throughout the year and we will be glad to add them to the cupboard.  All donations can be placed in the donation bin in the main office.   

If you know any students experiencing a need who would benefit from a little extra, please reach out to Jennifer Shiels, a guidance counselor or an administrator and we will ensure access to items of choice in the food pantry. For security reasons on property, access to the Clocker Cupboard will be limited to staff and students.  

I am excited to be a part of a new community started by our colleagues up the road in the Mendon-Upton school district. They are models of collaborative, innovative approaches to education and are doing amazing things with their students. If you are interested in joining the network (i.e.- receive blog posts, participate in Zoom sessions, get access to resources) check out their our website at www.theinspiredlearningproject.weebly.com and register to join at http://bit.ly/InspiredLearningProject. I hope you all consider joining this collaboration so we can share ideas on continuous improvement for students at AHS.

Last week I suggested you check out George Couros and I just started his book The Innovators Mindset. This blog post is worth a read, great questions to ask yourself about your classroom.

Please see the invitation below from Karen Spilka: 

Please consider attending Senator Karen E. Spilka’s 2^nd annual SEL forum on January 9, 2018 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Warren Conference Center in Ashland. Here’s the link to sign up: https://kesexsel.eventbrite.com

Ashland Raises Healthy & Happy Kids

The Difference Between Stress and Anxiety

Many use the words ‘stress’ and ‘anxiety’ interchangeably, but there is a difference.

Stress is caused by an existing stress-causing factor, or stressor. Stress can come from any situation or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, nervous, or even anxious. What is stressful to one person is not necessarily stressful to another.

Anxiety is stress that continues after that stressor is gone. Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension or fear and is almost always accompanied by feelings of impending doom. The source of this uneasiness is not always known or recognized, which can add to the distress you feel.

Stress is the way our bodies and minds react to something which upsets our normal balance in life; an example of stress is the response we feel when we are frightened or threatened.

Anxiety, on the other hand, is a feeling of unease. Everybody experiences it when faced with a stressful situation, for example before an exam or an interview, or during a worrying time such as illness. Anxiety is considered abnormal when it is prolonged or severe, it happens in the absence of a stressful event, or it is interfering with everyday activities such as going to work/school, socializing or affects your sleep or eating.

Learning stress reduction skills can help with stressors we all encounter. Learning coping skills for anxiety can help with both stress and anxiety. Some people with anxiety require professional help. Please discuss concerns with your family medical professional, or reach out to the school guidance staff if you are worried about stress or anxiety in your children.